


Know Your Enemy

by Ratzinger



Category: Captain Marvel (2019)
Genre: Captain Marvel Character Writing, Character Analysis, Collectivism, Critique, Deconstruction, Essay, Fragmented Identity, Meta, Other, Plot analysis, and captain marvel has it in spades, basically i go and see marvel films for the unrealised potential, individualism, this is just one important aspect of it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-25
Updated: 2019-03-25
Packaged: 2019-12-07 10:51:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18233903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ratzinger/pseuds/Ratzinger
Summary: MCU's story of Carol Danvers is an intimate tale of self-discovery, knowing oneself, and embracing oneself as one is. It is not a classic confrontation between good and evil, yet people either complain that there is no villain, or that the villain is an obvious caricature. Well, here are some words on this.





	Know Your Enemy

You need something substantial to wrestle with to have a compelling story.  
What makes it a weighty success for Carol by the end of the film? How is Captain Marvel's villain game?

 

The MCU’s story of how Carol Danvers comes to realise what gives her the capacity to do heroic things is rooted in an intimate tale of self-discovery, knowing oneself, and embracing oneself as one is. It is not a classic story of confrontation between good and evil and therefore the classic hero’s journey formula does not apply. Carol is exactly the same  _personality_  at the end of the film as she is at the beginning of the film, with the crucial difference that by the end, she is in a position to control and honestly evaluate her own life narrative – she has regained more or less solid ground under her feet without which no one can pass moral judgments or make decisions that affect the lives of other people.

Carol’s origin story is not about punching someone into remorse and submission, but about finding herself (almost literally) – which means that the antagonists of the film are the friends she makes along the way. The opposing force is a deeply personal one and climbs into the protagonist’s soul rather than threatens their life. It is difficult to get that right in a bombastic superhero film, and I do not think Captain Marvel succeeds. But the thought is universally relatable to everyone and thus worth exploring.

Though it gives it a shot, ultimately it loses the handle it has on the suspenseful, more serious aspects of Carol's search of her past in favour of an equally, but differently, enjoyable feel-good moments of the third act. By shifting the blame  _entirely_ onto the Kree, by forgetting to make them compelling and multifaceted villains with multiple motivations, and by making the Skrulls we see in this film into the misunderstood good guys, the writing suddenly spirals into a dreadfully boring black-white dynamic, which, above all, does not fit with what makes Carol's dilemma and struggle over a betrayal as great as this gut-wrenching. It is tonally and emotionally simplistic, whereas Carol's tale is anything but. You can see that the actors understand it (e.g. Brie, Lashana, Law), but the genre-requirements by and large override them. The film is trying to do too much to do it all well.

 

The more I thought about the plot after three viewings, the more convinced I became that the tonal confusion makes the Kree, Supreme Intelligence, and Yon-Rogg into poorly utilised villains. Instead of heinous but multifaceted and psychologically frightening/uncomfortable antagonists with motivations beyond "dominance", you get a punchable kids' cautionary tale about an abusive asshole who functions as a caricature stand-in for all the unempathetic and selfish men in our societies. That's fair insofar that the SI or Yon-Rogg are not to be pitied in any realm, but it is also painfully underwhelming and, dare I say it, unfairly dull. That easily bashable characterisation does not stand independently of the politicized subtext, and therefore amounts to a very confused character writing as it does not line up with what the rest of the text actually explicitly shows.

Arguably, Yon-Rogg is not as one-dimensional as people seem to think. He’s more of a foil than an outright antagonist to Carol on a personal level, but it’s hard to say whether he is overall meant to be represented as a misguided Kree patriot or a hammy villain because the former gets too vague a development and the latter just does not work – war is war, they’re all dirty, and Supreme Intelligence takes the cake here. Since Yon-Rogg’s motivations are strongly informed by his role as the poster boy of the Kree military, the Kree-Skrull plotline actually  ** _should be_**  elaborated upon further if they wanted to convey him as “the guilty party” in both storylines that push the story forward. 

To try to understand what they could have been going for, I’ve tried to identify with the antagonists of the film; consider that it is not a pleasant exercise but an intriguing one nonetheless.

 

**Storylines**

There are two storylines that intersect in the film and push the plot onward: Carol’s unfolding quest to make sense of her past, and the Kree-Skrull war. The twist in Carol’s personal storyline results in a change up in regard to how to view the Kree-Skrull war, but it’s not ground-breakingly illuminating, since the war between these races is never sufficiently elaborated upon and it is not the main emotional centre of the film – how Carol feels about "belonging", the Kree, and her mentor is. Therefore, the antagonists’ character development unfolds in layers. 

The Skrulls turn from villains into an emotional hook that helps lead her home and speaks to Carol's sense of alienation, her loss of family and loved ones, and the importance of a "sense of belonging." And the Kree turn from a family into jailers - from a stroke of luck or a gift from god to devil's claws.

So, what's the world-buildy background for the real antagonists then?

 

Consider for a minute, the Kree ideology. Collectivist, imperialist, hyper-militaristic, superior in technology and culture. Roman Empire seems like an appropriate comparison. They see themselves as the rightful rulers by conquest who have a duty to maintain order, safety, and stability within their empire. Realpolitiks of empires, in short. Hyper-militaristic inclinations translate onto the individual level as well where the collective interest is set before one’s individual interests.

Additionally, the entire race is said to harbour a religious kind of faith and devotion in the Supreme Intelligence. The Supreme Intelligence is composed of  _all_ the bright minds of long ago deceased Kree and the film makes a point of showcasing that every Kree who dies "joins the collective." So, you have a race that draws its militaristic fervour and sense of righteousness and superiority from their faith in "themselves" insofar as the Artificial Intelligence  _is_ all of them post-death.

(It mirrors the theme of "faith in oneself" of the film, albeit with a black mirror like twist - a whole is always greater and something  _more_ than the sum of its parts, and superintelligence has a mind, intentions, and logic of its own. It is not controlled or contained by its parts, be they well-intended or not. Writing-wise it offers a very interesting theme to explore in Captain Marvel's future films - the dark sides of self-righteousness and self-possessedness (the defining characteristics of Carol). "Know your enemy. It could be you.")

 

And it translates into Yon-Rogg’s motivations and outlook very clearly (he respects and admires his own judgment the most, showcasing unbelievable arrogance but also impressive faith in himself, similarly to Carol), though with some interesting exceptions that add to his character writing.

     He is a devout warrior, unshakably loyal to the Kree’s cause and their claims of superiority.

  * Yet he is  _not_ fond of the scorched earth tactics of the overly zealous Accusers.
  * He avoids entangling civilians in the Kree-Skrull conflict to the very last second (he also avoids shooting Carol outright in their very first meeting).
  * He genuinely cares about his soldiers’ lives, and they trust him a lot in return, even when he is misleading other high-ranking officers in the Kree army (Ronan).
  * He prioritises the good of all Kree above all else (instead of,  _notably_ , personal power).
  * He genuinely believes in what he is trying to teach Vers (emotions should not rule your good judgment in a conflict situation; the Kree’s enlightened rule is for the better for all); it is not  _only_  part of their cover-up scheme.
  * He views the Skrulls’ means of fighting as dishonourable because of their penchant for subterfuge rather than direct combat. In another context that would be called being “honourable” in combat.



So, as a Kree - an authoritarian space fascist - he is pretty reasonable and a more rounded than your standard evil for evil’s sake goon. And the Kree are obviously  _more_  than the script manages to sufficiently convey, especially if we consider that Carol becomes "of two different worlds" through their actions.

 

**What to make of Yon-Rogg as a personal antagonist in relation to Carol?**

It’s twisted from its very beginning, since Yon-Rogg effectively saves Carol’s life by stealing it from her. He hesitates to kill Carol outright by the lake. Then, ironically, saves her life by abducting her as she verges between life and death. And then, metaphorically, the Kree kill Carol Danvers anyway. Only to “bring her back to life” through the blood transfusion from Yon-Rogg and through the presumed genetic meddling to make it stick (her entire blood supply and blood reproduction has to get replaced). It’s as messy as they come.

Her strength, life span, superior healing factor, endurance and resistance (etc.) - at its base level, they all come from the Kree. Doubtless, tapping into the Tesseract's energy enhances it further, but the Kree effectively build within her a framework in which her cosmic powers survive and can be utilised. All this, while killing Carol Danvers as she knows herself in the process. That bit of writing also establishes how unnervingly intimate a bond they share (something that comes to underlie a sense of possessiveness and ownership on his part, and confirms that this is not healthy).

To see Carol succeed therefore strokes Yon-Rogg’s ego – he made the right call as a soldier, he is part of the origins of her powers, and he is a good teacher. As said, he holds himself in high regard to put it mildly. And partly he sees Carol as an extension of himself for multiple reasons. But, since that is his first slip up, it also makes you think, was it (stupid) curiosity, principles, or admiration that stopped him from shooting Carol? She had almost brought him down in a plane fight, after all, and then resorted to sacrificing herself for Mar-Vell's ideals (a greater good in its own right). More importantly, the characteristics that make her capable of heroism are there already, since childhood. She is strong, determined, loyal, death-defying, and always craving to be the best right from the start even through her failures - her humanity is hers alone and, arguably, endearing and respect-worthy to the Kree as well. But while Yon-Rogg acts under orders from the Supreme Intelligence, I doubt he protests its wisdom too much – it is more than likely that the Kree see themselves as  _genuinely benevolent_  for saving this human and giving her so much by making her one of the collective (see their sense of superiority, again). Consider the motif of "cultivating a savage" for an analogy.

 

It is said in interviews that Yon-Rogg both appreciates and is irritated by Carol’s “humanity” and quirks.  _Captain Marvel - The Official Movie Special_  confirms that he, while undoubtedly in the wrong, was not written as a strawman of a villain who hates Carol because hate and sexism (contrary to what a lot of the social media seems to take away). In fact, canonically, he seems to genuinely like Carol as a person. 

 _“They have a tight bond, but Vers’ humanity still comes out, and I think that is hugely attractive to Yon-Rogg. I think he finds her irresistible, and it’s her human elements that he really warms to.”_ - Law. 

Even when confronted with a simulation of Carol on Earth, Yon-Rogg does not dare to entertain the thought that Carol might have put two and two together until he is very much slapped in the face with it. Although their comm conversations should have given ample evidence that Carol is "compromised", he persists in wanting to believe the opposite (lies to Ronan, shuts down his teammates, goes to meet a compromised soldier on his own). Be it hubris or affection, or most likely both, the duality of that situation is great, since on the one hand, he is doubling down on his lies via a classic abusive manoeuvre by reaching for the bond they share with Carol ("We'll figure this out. Together."), but he is also acting in ways completely opposite to what he believes and teaches Carol. He gets visibly angry ("anger only serves the enemy") whenever Carol's in danger and is visibly relieved and happy to hear she is safe. He is not listening to his head. 

Throughout, he also seems to me as perfectly aware that what he is doing is wrong on a personal level; but the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one. All the weirder he would forget about it then.

 

In any case, over six years, they grow close. He is her crutch and door to the Kree culture, Carol trusts him more than anyone in the galaxy (she does not have anyone else) and confides in him (coming to him in the early hours before dawn after her nightmares), she looks up to him and wants to prove herself (they got their final confrontation  _so_  right). At the beginning of the film there is even some flirtation between them ("it's me you see, isn't it?") and overall there is an undeniable sense of closeness. Sustaining that level of closeness entails some empathy. Which is to say that while ruthless and vile in his methods, Yon-Rogg is never conveyed as an outright psychopath. He has a soft spot for his favourite student (their relationship has been described as “tender” by Schwartz). He has faith in her (“She’s stronger than you think!”), is (over-)protective of her, but genuinely wants to see her succeed (the Kree  _want_  her to use her powers) - albeit on the Kree’s terms and not her own. By all accounts, he is trying to do his best as a mentor to a soldier and as a soldier to his people, and probably sincerely believes it will make everything easier for Carol. After all, ultimately, the one who wins the war will retroactively be called a hero - or will they?

And that is what makes the betrayal so utterly horrid on a personal level for Carol. Not only are her self and life and the people she loves on Earth taken away from her, but whatever new anchors to normality she forms during her life as a Kree are rotten since their inception. Real in how they feel, but false in what they are.

For despite the truth of her origins among the Kree, Carol remains blissfully unaware of it all and ends up liking her life with the Kree by the time the film starts. She has military background, she is a daredevil, likes to be good at things and to push herself, and she gets the opportunity to do that without shame. The Kree never treat her badly (minus, oh the irony, the grand deception part, of course).  _Sexism_ , though we see it as an analogy to our world,  _is not_   **why**  the antagonists are  _evil_  in this film. If the military is anything to go by among the Kree, they are egalitarian and above gender dynamics the way we understand them - as a soldier, Carol's almost living her best life in regard to "opportunities".

Also, I do not doubt that Yon-Rogg's orders from the Supreme Intelligence were to ensure Carol's loyalty by any means necessary. However, in comparison to, for instance, Bucky, the Kree do not constantly torture and brainwash her to turn her into a vegetable. It is a “golden cage” type situation. A lie that's almost good enough to leave be. That's what's so utterly creep-inducing and dangerous about Carol's situation. And from Yon-Rogg’s perspective then, as long as the lie is not found out, it is not objectively a bad life, is it? However, because of the manner in which Carol has come to be his pupil, all of what is happening here can only become one huge poisoned chalice. Nevertheless, you can see how someone like him can justify his lies to himself. Something a well-written antagonist must be able to do.

 

The truth of the matter is, of course, that Carol due to her amnesia  _does not have a choice_  regarding the narrative into which she is thrust, and that is the inherent evil that she overcomes in the film – taking back control over her life’s narrative and thus also gaining the necessary faith in oneself that comes with knowing oneself. Carol's journey is about losing and finding herself again - albeit when she does, she is no longer the same; otherwise where is the gravitas? The Kree and Yon Rogg make up a big part of her (literally...), but only by infringing on her right to self-determination most horribly in the process.  _"The best version she could be"_ can only ever be pushed upon her in this state, like it so often happens in overly controlling families and partnerships. 

Compare Carol's relationship to the Kree with Carol's relationships to Mar-Vell and Maria. They offer the kind of unconditional support and love that elevates and enhances without ever laying down conditional terms of its own. In large parts it is because Maria and Carol share a fate and their surrounding circumstances by choice - there is no power imbalance, but respect and admiration that is built on a solid, level foundation. It is present as a safe haven, affirming one's best qualities, secure in the knowledge that ultimately, one will know what is best for themselves. It allows one to be as they are, saying, "that's fine", thus allowing a kind of peace upon which one can continue building themselves as they want. Carol is ambitious and loves being the best at what she does. Yon-Rogg's relationship with her utilises the potentially negative side of that trait - be the best version of yourself, no matter if you lose sight of yourself in the process. Maria's does not. Maria gets through to Carol when she breaks down after hearing the recording from the black box, because she reaffirms what Carol knows to be inalienably hers but is losing sight of. It's more than the traits that Maria reminds her of or that she loves Carol for who she is - she reminds Carol that she owns herself. All of it! 

Carol  ** _belongs to herself and with herself_** , first and foremost. 

It's beautiful.

 

**The Central Evil of the Film**

In a story about self-liberation, the central evil is perpetuated against an individual's freedom to choose to be.

Therefore, consider seriously that while Yon-Rogg’s advice to “control emotions and not let them cloud your judgment” may echo the belittling gender dynamics of our world, it is only an analogy – the Kree are  _not_  putting Carol in this situation in the film  _because_   _she is a woman_. Neither is it inherently a wrong or bad advice to drill into a soldier, and that is what Carol is – a soldier. Text comes before subtext. However, as it happens, autobiographical long term memory triggers most strongly based on emotions, so suppressing emotions also counteracts the possibility that Carol might regain her memories. They gaslight her into thinking her powers are unpredictable and dangerous (which they, at the start, undoubtedly are) due to her emotional instability deriving from the trauma of "a Skrull attack" on her because that is  _the only_   _leverage_ they can have over a living, thinking, independent vessel for Tesseract's unlimited energy. This objectification is there from the very start. And other than killing her, they did not leave themselves too many other options by saving her life. 

The Kree may well not even know what Carol could do if she was more in touch with herself and her powers – their foremost concern is winning “her heart and mind” so that she doesn’t ever turn against them. Again, they are personal, psychological villains. If you want someone to do something for you, it is always best if they themselves begin to  _want_ to do it. No greater power than the one that comes from within, no greater enemy than the one that takes root within. By tying her more strongly to Kree culture and ways, as well as training her according to that age-old mentor character's dictum, Yon-Rogg is basically hitting two birds with one stone. Yet. They can  ** _never_  **be absolutely certain of Carol's loyalty, because they base their relationship on unequal, deceitful grounds which lack all respect for Carol's choices as an individual. She is a human, she was not born and raised according to the Kree's collectivist teachings - she is incompatible with their moral system. 

 

In that sense, the ‘enemy’ of the film is not so much the meme of a “debate me guy” or your ordinary our world chauvinist, or patriarchy (they are analogies, but not inherent to the conflict of the film), but the insidious disregard the Kree show toward individuals and their right to self-determination.

 

As a culture, that is  _not their thing._  And as other cultures are seen as lesser than them, they discard their moral outlooks off the bat as cute but ultimately backwards (for the Kree are a galactic empire, whereas Earth is... well, nothing to write home about apparently). Arguably that disregard underlies and precedes gendered readings because it applies universally (would they have done anything differently if Carol had been a man? I don’t think so) (also, it underlies the war ideology behind subjugating other races). And war justifies everything, of course, which is the second strongest ‘evil’ motif in the film.

That’s pretty good, layered writing, in truth. 

Both ‘evils’ are represented in Yon-Rogg’s and Supreme Intelligence’s characterisations, but only the latter remains abstract enough to be the literal representation of it, whereas Yon-Rogg is still written with some “humanity” for the lack of a better word. He is very much conveyed as a product of his society, but not even an entirely one-dimensional caricature of that. Sure, we do not get any insight into his inner thoughts, but not once did the film give me the impression that Carol is as upset as she is because of being betrayed by a lump of evil with no moving parts inside. I can appreciate that in an antagonistic force, because it adds to the hero’s internal confusion if their starting out premise is “friends with my enemy”. There is extreme pragmatism more than there is cruelty in both of the villains' intentions. But cruelty follows anyway, because freedom and predetermination cannot  _not_  be in conflict, and very rarely does cruelty not follow when ends justify the means quite as brutally as in the case of sacrificing someone’s freedoms for another’s greater cause.

For Yon-Rogg that is not an issue, though he himself is as deprived of freedom under this ideology as Carol is. But Carol’s moral system hails from a different place. The Kree may have “saved her” and honed her, but they cannot contain her. What happens to Carol is ultimately down to her choices – and that’s how her peculiar situation and, dare I say it, “human mentality” clashes the heaviest with the Kree’s collectivism. 

You can build on that, even if some of it gets lost in the tempo of the final cut.

 

_"I’m all I want to be, a walking study in demonology.”  
\- Celebrity Skin_


End file.
